Tag: public transit

Stabbings Prompt Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek to Announce New Transit Safety Measures

Calgary announced a new action plan Monday to make its transit system safer after two women were stabbed last week at a light rail transit station. Mayor Jyoti Gondek said that while the safety concerns on public transit are felt throughout the country, “this does not take away the imperative for immediate action in our…


Province Steps in With $479M to Save BC’s TransLink From Potential ‘Death Spiral’

British Columbia is injecting nearly $500 million into the Metro Vancouver transit system to save it from what officials say is a feared “death spiral” sparked in part by the COVID-19 pandemic. Premier David Eby said Wednesday that the $479 million in provincial funding for TransLink will keep fares affordable, prevent service cuts and enable…


Public Transit Struggling to Lure Back Riders Amid Deficits, Rising Costs of Living

TORONTO—Kelly Fairchild will be paying more to take public transit this year – money she says will come directly out of her food budget. “Food and groceries are going up and if they keep increasing transit … it’s just not sustainable,” says the Toronto resident, who receives a limited income from the Ontario Disability Support…


Toronto Police Looking for Victims After Teens Allegedly Assaulted Multiple People

Toronto police say they are looking for victims after a group of up to 10 girls allegedly assaulted several people at public transit stations last month. Police say the assaults took place on Dec. 17 between 10 p.m. and midnight at five downtown subway stations. They are describing the assaults as random. Police are asking…


Public Transit Ridership Remains Far Below Pre-Pandemic Levels Despite High Gas Prices: Report

Canada’s public transit ridership remains far below pre-pandemic levels despite high gas prices of late, according to data released by Statistics Canada on Dec. 20. In its “Urban Public Transit” report, StatsCan said ridership in October (117.3 million) was the highest since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. “That said, there were 51.9 million fewer…


Calgary Transit to Offer 50% Discount on Summer Passes

Calgary Transit says it is offering monthly discounted passes for August and September. In a statement released on July 18, Calgary Transit said the move is to encourage Calgarians to take part in the city’s slew of activities this summer. “With so many opportunities in Calgary to participate in activities and events, transit is a…


Los Angeles County Issues New Order Requiring Mask-Wearing on All Public Transit

Los Angeles County has reinstated its mask mandate on public transport, meaning that people will again be required to wear face coverings at all indoor public transportation hubs, including airports and bus terminals, officials have said. The order, which will take effect on Friday, dictates that individuals aged 2 and older, regardless of their COVID-19 vaccination status,…


Why Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Has Declined | Lawrence McQuillan

The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) was once the pride of San Francisco. But according to recent reports on reliability, customer satisfaction, and safety, BART has been falling behind other metropolitan systems. My guest is Lawrence McQuillan, senior fellow at the Independent Institute. He explains why BART has fallen behind and how it can improve…


San Diego County Approves $160 Billion Transportation Plan, Cuts out Mileage Tax

SAN DIEGO—The San Diego Association of Governments’ (SANDAG) board of directors passed on Dec. 10 the 2021 Regional Transportation Plan without the controversial road mileage tax, but questions remain as to how the regional transportation agency will fund the $160 billion plan. A four-cents-per-mile road usage tax proposal and two half-cent regional sales taxes proposed for 2022 and 2028…


San Diego’s Per-Mile Driving Tax Explained | Jim Desmond

San Diego proposes a milage tax to fund a $160 billion regional plan to increase public transit usage from 3.4 percent to 13 percent over the next 30 years. It claims this will help reduce vehicle emissions, but is it worth it? California Insider spoke with Jim Desmond, a member of the San Diego County…